Minnesota pulls out win over Quakes

In a battle of two MLS playoff contenders, Minnesota United held serve at home, coming away with a 3-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday night.

Minnesota (8-7-3, 27 points) came into the game in sixth place in the Western Conference, one point back of San Jose (7-7-4, 25 points) but now holds the two-point lead.

It was the first MLS loss for San Jose since May 11, as the Earthquakes had run off a 4-0-2 record to jump into the thick of the playoff race after starting the season 0-4-0.

Tied 1-1 at the break, Minnesota got the game winner in the 52nd minute off a Michael Boxall goal.

The big defender pushed up from the back, making a run into the attacking third. He tried to push a ball through to the right, but it deflected off a San Jose defender and right back towards Boxall, who never broke stride.

He got to the ball a step before San Jose goalie Daniel Vega and pushed it home for the lead.

San Jose controlled the game after that, but Minnesota iced it on a Kevin Molino goal two minutes into stoppage time.

Minnesota got on the board just five minutes into the game when Darwin Quintero put home a volley off a cross from Ethan Finlay.

Finlay got loose in the right side of the penalty box before sending the cross to Quintero. Vega did get a hand on the ball but was unable to keep it out of the goal.

The goal put to a rest a scoreless streak of 205 consecutive minutes for the San Jose defense.

San Jose tied it in stoppage time at the end of the first half when a Magnus Eriksson free kick from 20 yards out on the right side of the field was deflected off the stomach of Tommy Thompson and into the goal to make it 1-1 at the break.